


Lingering

by ofporcelain



Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Making Love, Oral Sex, Romance, Slow Burn, Smut, unspoken feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2019-12-07 20:20:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18239738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofporcelain/pseuds/ofporcelain
Summary: You have been in love with Hvitserk for as long as you could remember and after witnessing his constantly flirting with Margrethe at a party you grow uncomfortable. That is until his younger brother Ivar offers you a deal you couldn't refused. However, as time goes on the two of you grow closer and it seems as if the fake relationship is more real than either of you believe.





	1. The Set Up

**Author's Note:**

> I know that in the show Ivar’s last name is Ragnarsson but since this is set in our time it will be Lothbrok. So this request is super cute and I’m beyond excited for it! I’ve never actually done a modern au so please let me know what you think. As usual kudos, comments, & bookmarks are always appreciated!  
>   
>  **Chapter Inspiration: Midnight City by M83**

A loud crash broke out among the bustling crowd, pulling your attention to a drunken man who had knocked over one of the expensive vases within the mansion and as quick as he was there he was escorted away by security. The moment he was gone the chatter sparked up again and you lifted your champagne flute to your lips, sipping at the fizzy liquid inside. Your eyes trailed across the crowd, landing on an all too familiar braid of dark hair. Hvitserk had his head ducked behind that of Margrethe’s, whispering what you could only assume to be sweet-nothings in her ear as she bit at her bottom lip. You fought the urge to roll your eyes as you relaxed further into the couch, swirling the contents within your glass in order to distract yourself from the scene before you. 

The Lothbrok’s annual dinner party was something you had attended since you were young, your parents having formed a business connection with the family when you could barely walk. In turn you had practically grown up alongside the sons of Ragnar. You attended private school with them for as long as you could remember and they had grown to accept you as a member of the family. 

Hvitserk Lothbrok, despite being older, had been closer than any of them. The connection you had formed being so strong that it lasted through the rough teenage years and into your adult life. When you were younger and hormones were running wild you had developed somewhat romantic feelings for the flirty male and while you had believed you outgrew them long ago seeing him openly flirt with the blonde woman lit a fire within your chest. 

You were so lost in thought that you had barely registered the heavy footsteps that echoed throughout the room or the dip in the sofa as another frame settled by your side. An elbow jabbed into your side, startling you as you quickly adverted your gaze to the young male who had sat next to you. 

“You’re not very good at hiding it.” Ivar grumbled, grabbing the glass from your hand and downing the remaining liquid. 

“Help yourself.” You countered, sarcasm lacing your voice as you waved to the now empty flute. 

He ignored your comment, turning his gaze to his older brother who had settled his hands on the girls waist. “He’s never going to notice you if all you do is stare at him from afar.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

A scoff slid past his lips as he leaned his head back to rest against the plush cushion, his eyes fluttering closed. “Right, you definitely haven’t been longing for my brother since our second-string.”

Despite the fact that you were never close with the youngest son you did share many classes with him during your final years of school. He was in the same age group as you and while he tended to stick to himself he had always been around when you were with the group of brothers. 

“Shut up.” You snapped, perking up when one of the waiters passed with a tray full of alcoholic beverages. With a small wave you called him over and he bowed his head as you plucked two glasses from the metal slab and leaned back in the seat. You held one out to the male next to you and he happily took it from your grasp.

“I can help you with him.” Ivar spoke suddenly, causing your head to snap in his direction. “He’s always been protective over you, it’d be easy to make him jealous.” 

Your eyes narrowed incredulously, brow furrowing as he turned to meet your gaze. “And why would you do that?”

“Can’t a man want to get on his brothers nerves without having ulterior motives?” He asked, a smirk playing at his lips.

A laugh of disbelief slid past your lips. “He can, however, when that man is you I know better than to believe it.”

“Look at them, Y/N.” He nodded back to blissfully unaware couple. “After Ubbe called off the engagement she jumped right on him, do you really think that she has feelings for him?”

The romantic lives of the sons of Ragnar had always been extremely complicated. After Björn had separated peacefully from his wife Torvi, the second brother seemed to form a strong connection with the woman; Ubbe had quickly ended his relationship with Margrethe in order to pursue one with the newly divorced female. In what you could only assume was an act of hurt desperation, Margrethe had jumped at the opportunity to form a relationship with Hvitserk.

“She’s a fucking parasite, all she wants is our family name and money.” Ivar continued, pulling your attention back to him. “I don’t want her around any more than you.”

You bit at your lower lip as you lost yourself in thought, the chance that was being offered weighing heavily on your shoulders. It wasn’t until he reached down to place a hand on your thigh that you let out a heavy breath. “What are you thinking?”

“We could fake a relationship,” he began, but when you flashed him a skeptical look he held a hand up. “Listen, we can try it out tonight, if it spurs a reaction we can continue and if it doesn’t we can give up.”

Despite the thoughts that swarmed within your mind your mouth bobbed in response, however, after another glance at the flirty couple you began nodding your head. “Okay, how do we do this?”

A victorious smile bloomed across his lips as he leaned forward, free hand lifting to brush back your hair as he whispered in your ear. “Just follow my lead.” His body had turned fully to you, chest pressing against your arm as he trailed his hand down your spine in order to press his opened palm to your lower back. His face nuzzled against your neck, lips brushing against the sensitive skin there as he spoke, “just relax.” 

You did as he said, allowing your frame to slide closer to his as you tilted your head in order to rest your temple against his. With each breath he released chills erupted across your skin and you felt yourself succumbing to the pleasure. His fingers began to stroke at your clothed back, nails digging into your skin slightly in order to arch you closer; however, the clearing of a throat caused him to pull back.

“Hvitserk.” He greeted, irritation lacing his tone as he turned to face his older brother. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Are you?” Hvitserk countered, gaze darting between the two of you as he shoved his hands in his pockets. 

Ivar dropped his hand to rest on your hip, pulling you towards him until your bare thigh was pressed against his. “Oh, I’m thoroughly enjoying myself.” He cooed, his fingers tracing unrecognizable patterns against you. 

“Right.” The older male grumbled, eyes narrowing as they turned to you. “Y/N, can I speak with you?”

“Actually Hvitty, we were just about to head out. You know how she gets after being around this crowd for too long.”

“Of course I do.” There was a twinge in his voice, almost as if he were struggling to keep it leveled. “I can take you home, Y/N.”

Ivar smiled widely, the braces on his legs knocking together as he rose to his full height. “There’s no need, we were going to stop and grab something to eat on the way.” He turned to you then, holding out a hand for you. 

You hesitated for only a brief moment, heat rushing through you as you reached out to lace your fingers with his. As you stood from the sofa you arm brushed against Hvitserk’s, a tight smile pulling at your lips as you met him with an apologetic gaze, and then Ivar was leading you from the room. 

For a moment you believed he would object to you leaving, however that subsided when you walked beneath the arch and into the main hallway. There wasn’t a word spoken between you and the youngest son as he lead you out the front door, the valet jumping to action the moment he caught sight of him. Once Ivar’s car was brought up he stepped forward, opening the door for you before crossing the hood in order to climb into the driver seat.

You had always been quite curious as to how he was able to drive. His parents had bought him an incredibly expensive car the moment he turned of age and as you watched him adjust his seat and begin fiddling with the controls you realized that it had been custom-made. He pushed forward on the lever to his left, using his other hand to pull the vehicle out of park before roughly jerking down on the lever. The tires squealed in response, his eyes darting to his mirror as he mumbled, “there you are.” 

Your head snapping to look out the window where you saw Hvitserk rushing through the large double doors, however as soon as he was a few feet away Ivar dropped the gear and tore from the driveway. 

An amused smile was tugging at Ivar’s lips as he glanced in his review mirror once again and despite the urge to return to his older brother, you could help the laugh that escaped you. His eyes dropped in your direction, smile widening before he turned back towards the road. 

You didn’t bother giving him your address, he had accompanied the boys when they had helped you move your possessions to your newly rented home and he had been present during the many times they had picked you up for events. 

The house was relatively close to the Lothbrok mansion and despite your need to speak you bit your tongue to keep the words at bay. Anything you had to say could wait until you were both in the comfort of your home. You had been staring out the front window in a daze when your phone began vibrating in your lap and with a furrowed brow you glanced down at the bright screen. “Hvitserk’s calling.”

“Don’t answer it.” He replied coolly, glancing between you and the road. “It’ll drive him mad.” 

You gave a slow nod, clicking the power button as you dropped the device back in your lap. It wasn’t long before he had pulled into your driveway, clicking his belt free and climbing from the vehicle. You reached down for your purse, however when you couldn’t find the strap you pushed the door open and jumped out of the car. The light had flicked on, illuminating in the darkness as you searched for the object, only to come up short.

“What’s taking so long?” Ivar asked, his voice must closer than you had expected, causing you to jump as you turned to face him. 

“I can’t find my purse.” You grumbled, picking up you phone to glance at the lock screen which was flooded with messages from your best friend.

 **Hvitty:** Where are you going?  
**Hvitty:** Y/N answer me please.  
**Hvitty:** Ubbe found your purse on the couch

A groan slid past your lips as you pushed the door shut, head drooping in defeat. It wasn’t until Ivar began laughing that you turned your attention back to him, the look on your face only encouraging him as he bent over in hysterics. “You really are hopeless, aren’t you?”

“Very funny.” You snapped, pushing past him as you marched up to your back gate. Your entire house was locked which left you with a singular option. Ivar’s eyes were trained on you as you pushed yourself atop of your garbage bin, hands flexing as they grasped the top of the gate and you pushed yourself up. You had been caught in this situation many times, however you had never done it in a dress before. A gasp slid past your lips as the hem caught on the uneven wood, the tear echoing around you as you tumbled from the top. 

The impact wasn’t too painful, but air had been knocked from your lungs and you squeezed your eyes shut to keep them from watering. There was a banging on the opposite side of the fence, drawing you back to reality as you glanced between the cracks. “Y/N?” Ivar called out, causing you to groan. 

“I’m fine, just give me a second.”

Once you had pushed from the ground you slipped around the back, fiddling with the flimsy lock before shoving it open. You firstly kicked off your shoes, sighing in relief before crossing the house in order to unlock the front door. Ivar was already waiting on the other side, a cheeky grin plastered on his face as it swung open. “You’re very graceful.” He teased as he made his way inside, shutting the door behind him. 

You completely ignored him as you made your way to your room, quickly changing out of the now ruined dress and into something much more comfortable. When you returned to the living room your guest had already made himself comfortable on the sofa, legs stretched out before him as he relaxed against the back. 

“Alright,” you began, plopping down on the cushion next to him. “What’s our game plan?”

“You really don’t waste any time.” He japed, head tilting in your direction, though one look at your expression was enough to make him sigh. “Alright. Hvitserk has been turning guys away from you since we were in secondary school so just the thought of you being alone with me is going to piss him off.”

“We can start off a bit slow. You can start cancelling plans with him and then we’ll post pictures together on social media. After that I’ll take you to one of our family dinners, as my date, where he will most likely have Margrethe clinging to him the entire time. After about a month, depending on his reactions, we can call it quits and you can be on your merry way with my brother.”

“I don’t think he’ll buy it, Ivar, he knows us too well.”

“The only thing that can ruin this is you.” He began, reaching our to place a hand on your leg. “You can’t do that.”

Your brow furrowed in response. “Do what?”

“You can’t seem uncomfortable every time I touch you.”

You took a deep breath, head nodding as you glanced down at his hand. “I’m not uncomfortable, it’s just odd. I don’t think you’ve touched me since we were kids.” 

“This isn’t a game of tag, Y/N, we’re going to have to be more intimate.” 

“Maybe,” you bit at your lip, heart hammering as you tried to put together a proper sentence. “Maybe we could practice a bit when we’re alone? So we can get more comfortable around each other? I mean, when was the last time you even had a girlfriend?”

His lips pursed in thought, eyes narrowing slightly before he nodded. “Good point. Come here.”

Despite your initial hesitance you shifted closer to him and this time when he placed his hand on your thigh you didn’t stiffen under his palm. When his face slowly lowered to hover above your own you met his gaze with wide eyes, his nose bumping against your as he lifted his hand to wrap around your throat. Your eyes fluttered shut as he brushed his lips against yours, a shuddering breath slid past your lips, though it was cut off when his firm mouth pressed against you. 

You responded tentatively, grasping the front of his dress shirt as you tilted back to meet his lips fully. A harsh breath was released from him as pushed closer, mouth parting slightly as he deepened the kiss. His thumb dug into your neck, though it wasn’t at all painful, and you rocked onto your knees as you lifted a hand to thread in his hair. 

A sharp ding broke between you both causing you to pull back suddenly, chest heaving slightly as you met his now opened gaze. It seemed that you both were fighting for words, mouth parting in preparation for response only to be cut off by another chime.

“It’s your phone.” He finally spoke, spurring you into action as you grasped the object from the coffee table.

 **Hvitty:** Do you want me to bring it to you in the morning?

You let out a sharp breath, turning the screen to show the male next to you. He stared at it for a moment before a smirk pulled at his lips. “Tell him yes.” You gave him a questioning glance, but typed out the response nonetheless. “I’m going to stay here tonight.”

“I didn’t realized I had offered.” 

He rolled his eyes, “what do you think is gonna bother him more, coming over and seeing you’re alone or coming over and seeing that I stayed over?”

“Oh,” you blurted out, a small smiling playing at your lips as you stood from your seat. “I guess you have a good point. Goodnight, Ivar.” 

“Goodnight.” 

A harsh knock pulled you from your slumber, eyes blinking at the light that was streaming in past your curtains as you pushed yourself up. You groaned softly as you walked out of your room, a yawn sliding past your lips as you glanced out of the peephole of the front door. However, upon seeing Hvitserk on the other end your eyes widened, head snapping to the couch where Ivar was still fast asleep.

He had pulled the throw blanket from the back of the couch sometime after you had disappeared into your room and his shirt and pants had been tossed carelessly to the floor. You rushed over to him, grasping his shoulder and shaking him away. A deep frown formed over his lips as he peeked at you with narrowed eyes. 

“Get up, Hvitserk is here.” You hissed.

He gave a sharp nod, pushing from the couch, but when you turned to answer the door he grasped your wrist. “Wait, put this on.” He demanded, grabbing his shirt from the ground and pushing it towards you. 

Rather than question him you took the cloth from him, turning your back to him as you rushed back into your room. You tugged your oversized shirt off before sliding your arms through the one he had given you, hastily threading some of the buttons. You only paused when you grazed the band of your shirts and in a last minute decision you tugged them down your legs. 

The shirt hung low enough to cover you and once you had situated yourself you walked back out, only to bump into Ivar. He had gotten his pants pulled on as well as his leg braces and he chuckled softly before sliding past you. “Go answer it.” 

Once you walked back into the living room he had pushed the door so that it was cracked opened and you fiddled with the lock on the front door noisily. As you pulled it open you flashed a small smile at the man on the other side, “good morning, Hvitserk.”

“Morning.” He replied skeptically, pushing past you to make his way inside. You closed the door behind him before following him into the living room. The sofa was in perfect place, no sign of anyone having been there the night before and you smiled at the way Ivar had paid attention to the details. “Is my-”

He was cut off by your bedroom door swinging open, revealing his younger brother. He was fiddling with the button on his dress pants, head hung low as he walked out. “Y/N have you seen my,” he glanced up, feigning surprise as he glanced between you and his sibling, “shirt.”

You were frozen in place, gaze trailing from his face and down to his naked torso. All the sons of Ragnar were incredibly in shape, however, him standing bare before you caused a rush of heat to flood to your cheeks. 

A wide smile brightened his features as he stepped closer, his hand reached out to tug at the material that was draped over your form. “There it is.” He mumbled softly before turning his attention back to the other male. “Hvitty, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I didn’t expect to see you either, Ivar.” He countered, eyes narrowing as he stared at you both. “I just came to bring Y/N her purse.”

It was then that he held out the aforementioned object and you smiled widely as you plucked it from his grasp, though you were halted when he lightly grasped your wrist. You followed his gaze down to the blooming bruise that was formed on your forearm. “Oh shit.” You hissed, pulling your arm from his grasp to get a closer look. 

“Did you do that to her?” Hvitserk asked suddenly, voice laced with venom as he rounded on his brother.

Ivar straightened at the accusation, lip curling into a sneer as he met the others gaze. “You really think I’d do something like that, brother?”

When he opened his mouth to response you were quick to interrupt, “I fell trying to climb over the gate. My keys were in my purse.” 

The tension seemed to simmer slightly at your declaration and after a brief moment of silence Ivar spoke again. “I’ve got to head out, I have a meeting in an hour.”

You jumped to action, slipping past the two as you headed towards the bedroom, hands lifting to fiddle with the buttons of his shirt; however, he reached out to grasp your arm and with a softness you didn’t know he was capable of, he pulled you back to him. “Don’t worry about that.” He mumbled, lifting his other hand to cup your cheek as he pressed a kiss to your forehead. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

You bit at your lower lip as you craned back to meet his gaze, nodding in response before he dropped his arms and stepped away. He blurted out a quick goodbye to his brother as he made his way out of the front door. 

“What was that?” Hvitserk asked, drawing your attention back to him.

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean I’ve never once seen Ivar be intimate with anyone, let alone you.” 

You brow furrowed as you rounded on him, “let alone me?” 

“Oh, come on Y/N you know I didn’t mean it like that.” 

“Right, Hvitserk. Listen I have to get ready. Thank you for bringing me my purse, I’ll text you later.” 

You grasped his upper arm, pulling him to the front door. He groaned in frustration as he allowed you to lead him out of the house. “Can we get dinner this Thursday?” 

“Sure, just text me the time and place.” You muttered before quickly giving him a farewell hug and shutting the door behind him. 

☇ ☇ ☇ ☇

The rest of the week was rather uneventful and you fell back into your usual pattern. You had followed Ivar’s plan and the day before you were meant to meet Hvitserk for dinner you had cancelled on him, claiming that you hadn’t been feeling well. When he had offered to stop by your place you had quickly denied him. You weren’t completely sure what the next step would be, but after the events that occurred at the party you trusted the younger brother to reach out to you when he believed it to be necessary.

After running some quick errands you plopped down on your sofa, sighing in relief as you grabbed the remote and began flicking through the channels. Boredom had set in relatively fast and you felt yourself dozing off not too long after the movie you had chose began. It wasn’t until your phone began buzzing that you tuned back in, sliding your thumb across the screen before lifting it to your ear.

“I was wondering when you were going to call.” You teased softly, relaxing back into the sofa.

“Open your door.” Ivar grumbled before hanging up. 

Your brow raised at his tone, however you did as he said, making your way to the front door and pulling it open. A smile tugged at your lips as you met his eyes, dropping your phone from your ear and shoving it into your pocked as you stepped back to let him inside. 

His hands were full of bags, however the vase of flowers that were tucked underneath his arm was what immediately caught your attention. He made his way inside, dropping the bags on the kitchen counter before turning to you with a smirk. “Ready for the next step?” 

You nodded excitedly, rocking on your toes in order to glance in the bags, only for him to step between you and the counter. “Don’t be so nosy. Get your phone out.” You rolled your eyes, but did as you were told nonetheless. 

He plucked the phone from your grasp, tapping away at the screen before handing it back to you. You glanced down at the opened app before shifting back to him. He had picked up the vase once again, stepping back and taking a deep breath. “Alright, take a picture of me.” You laughed softly before lifting the phone, waiting until he was adjusted before you tapped the screen. Again your phone was tugged from your grasp and he typed away at the screen before posting the photo. Once he had handed your phone back you quickly check the photo, a smirk pulling at your lips as you glanced at the caption.

 _Couldn’t ask for a better surprise when I’m sick_ 🤗❤️

“How presumptuous of you.” You japed, tossing the device on the counter. He rolled his eyes in response as he began pulling the rest of the items out of the bags. Your brow furrowed when you realized they were ingredients. “What are you doing?”

“Making you soup.” His voice held a condescending tone and it was your turn to roll your eyes. 

“How do you even know how to make soup?”

He had begun pulling the utensils from your cabinet, “I asked my mother.” 

“Okay then, while you do that I’m going to go take a shower.”

He waved you off and you turned on your heels in order to head to the bathroom. It wasn’t you had stepped out of the shower and gotten dressed again that he called your name, the concern in his voice causing you to dart out of the room and back into the kitchen. 

The pot on the stove was boiling over harshly, contents flooding over the burners and onto the counter. He was fiddling with the knob behind it, jumping back every now and then to avoid the hot splashes, “what the fuck is wrong with this?”

You rushed forward, pushing him out of the way as you grabbed the broken knob and twisted it violently until the clicked off, then you grasped the pot and shoved it away from the hot burner. He looked between you and the mess, eyes wide with confusion as you bubbled with laughing. You reached out to the other counter, grasping your phone and opening an app before you began recording.

“Well ladies and gentleman it looks like the demon stove has struck again.” You announced, aiming your phone at the mess as you did your best to hold back your laughter. “How do you feel after this attack, Mr. Lothbrok?"

You panned the camera on him, the sheer look of annoyance on his face causing your to break out in a fit of giggles. “Oh you think this is funny?” He asked, a smirk playing on his lips as he rushed forward, arms wrapping around your waist as he grabbed onto you. In attempt to avoid him you jumped back, only to slip in one of the puddles and tumble to the floor. Ivar fell on top of you, pressing you to the wet floor as his chuckled lowly.

“Ivar, I just took a shower!” You whined.

“Well I guess we’ll have to take another.” He mumbled, arm tightening around your middle. You dropped your phone, finger slipping from the record button as you glanced up to meet his gaze.

The smirk on his lips faltered slightly as he stared down at you, his tongue sliding out to wet his lips before he slowly leaned down to press a kiss to yours. You responded almost instantly, mouth parting against his as he rolled his tongue past the seam of your lips. His hand lifted to tangle in your damp hair, tugging slightly as you arched against him. 

A loud giggle caused you both to break apart, your eyes dropping to the video playing on your phone. He cleared his throat, pushing off of you and rising to his feet as you rolled onto your side and shifted to stand next to him. You grabbed your phone from the floor, saving the video before posting it along with the picture you had take an hour before. 

“We should clean this up.” You blurted before jumping to clean the mess that he had made. He said nothing, instead turning on his heels and marching down the hall, the bathroom door slamming behind him.

After you had finished cleaning and changed your clothes you curled up on the couch, legs tucked beneath you as you did you best to focus on the book in your hands. You had been staring at the same sentence for far too long, mind swarming as you thought back to the kiss. _Practice_ , you had assured yourself, _it’s just practice for when you have to do it in the future_.

“What are you doing?” A voice rang out, causing you to start as you turned to glance at Ivar. His hair was damp, leading you to believe he took a shower, and he crossed the floor in order to sit at the other end of the sofa. 

“Reading.” You replied softly, closing the book and setting it on the coffee table.

He reached out for the book, picking it up to examine the cover. “You would read this shit.” Your heart sunk at his tone. It seemed the Ivar you had grown to know was back and the playful man you had been with just moments before had vanished. 

“It’s not shit!” You snapped, “you wouldn’t know a good book if it smacked you in the face.”

He scoffed, tossing the book back to the table. “You’re delusional.” 

“Alright then, Lothbrok, what should I be reading?”

He stared at you for a moment, brow furrowed slightly as he debated on his response. “Homer, Poe, Salinger. Anything that involves half a brain cell.”

A smile pulled at your lips as you pushed from the sofa, crossing the room to your bookshelf. You could feel his gaze on you as you searched through the titles and when you had found what you were looking for you plucked it off the shelf and plopped back down on the cushion. You opened to the front page, glancing at him over the rim of the book. His gaze dropped down to the title, his eyes rolling in annoyance, but you didn’t miss the upturn of his lips. 

Unlike the previous book the poems by Edgar Allen Poe filled your mind, distracting you completely from the male who sat across from you. You could still feel his eyes trained on you, mapping your features in a way that felt as if he was burning them to his memory. After a half-hour ticket by he cleared his throat, pulling you attention from the book. 

“The dinner is in two days.” He began, shifting slightly in his seat. “Do you still want to go with me?”

You shut the book, dropping it into your lap. “Of course I do.”

“Good. Hvitserk has already claimed he’s bringing Margrethe so it should be eventful.” 

At the mention of his brother you paused, stiffening slightly as you remember the reason all this had begun in the first place. You still had strong feelings for Hvitserk, there was no denying that, but in all honesty you had almost forgot just why Ivar had been spending so much of his time on you. The texts that you had been sending the last week had always turned into playful banter, but they also started as devious planning. The intimate moments you had shared were practice in order to pass as a real couple when you were around his family. 

**None of it was real.**

“I should go.” Ivar said suddenly. You watched as he stood from the couch, pulling his coat on before stepping towards you, however whatever was on his mind was pushed away as he rocked back. “Goodnight, Y/N.”

“Goodnight.” You replied, forcing a smile as he made his way to the front door and slipped out into the cold night.


	2. The Execution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you attend the family get together with Ivar you discover that faking a relationship was not as easy as he seemed to believe. After an aggressive run in with Margrethe you start to realize that you may no longer be faking.

A groan slid past your lips as you smacked your hand against your bedside table, you grasped your phone, swiping the answer button as you lifted it to you ear. “Hello?” You grumbled, pulling the comforter over your head in attempt to block on the sunlight.

“There’s been a change of plans.” Ivar spoke quickly, “are you still asleep?”

A growl slid past your lips as tossed onto your back, “why yes I am and you have just ruined a fantastic dream so please get to the point.”

His laugh echoed through the line and he inhaled deeply before speaking again. “I just got a call from my mother, we’re having family dinner at the lodge this weekend.”

You perked up at that, brow furrowing as you began picking at a loose string along the seam of your blanket. “The lodge? We haven’t been up there since Hvitserk’s graduation party.”

“I’m aware.” He mumbled, frustration clear in his tone. “If you’d rather wait until next weekend we can, but I already told them I was bringing you.”

“No, it’s fine.” A small moan slid past your lips as you stretched your limbs, the tension leaving your frame.

“Did you just moan?” He asked and you could picture the smirk you were sure had grown. “I didn’t realize my voice had that effect on you, Y/N.”

“Shut up, I was stretching.” You snapped, but you couldn’t fight the smile that was pulling at your lips. “When are you picking me?” 

He hummed softly, “I’ll be over in an hour or so, that way we can get there before dark.”

“I should probably start packing.” You grumbled, pushing the blanket down to your chest. “Drive safe, I’ll see you soon.

The line then clicked, your mouth opening as you pulled the phone down to look at the screen. “Bye to you too, asshole.” 

The morning went by relatively quick, after you had packed your bag for the weekend you tidied up your house in attempt to keep the nerves from swallowing you whole. You had always been close to the Lothbrok’s, but now that you were dating one of them you couldn’t be sure how they would behave. You plopped down on the couch with a sigh, pulling your phone out skimming over the messages you had received two days prior. It seemed Ivar’s plan had worked, the photo and video catching the attention of the majority of his family members.

 **Torvi:** Correct me if I’m wrong, but did he just say WE’LL have to take a shower?? When did this happen? 😏  
**Hvitty:** I would have brought you some medicine if I’d known you were feeling that bad.  
**Sigurd:** What have you done to my brother? Why is he being NICE?!  
**Ubbe:** This is sickly sweet.

You had answered them all separately, doing your best to reply with a minimal amount of lying. There was no doubt in your mind that at least one of them had showed their parents and while you knew Ragnar would do nothing but tease you, Aslaug would be a completely different story. She had been protective of her youngest son for as long as you could remember and if anyone would be able to catch on to what was occurring it would be her. 

Rather than continue to overthink what would occur over the weekend you pushed off the couch, flicking on your stereo and raising the volume; music blasted through the speakers as you began to sway to the rhythm. A giggle slid past your lips as you began jumping around the room, dancing excitingly along with the music in order to keep yourself occupied. You screamed the lyrics along with the artist, leaping on top of the sofa as the high end of the song consumed you; however, when you lifted your gaze you were met with sapphire orbs, a gasp sliding past your lips as your heel rolled off the edge.

Ivar laughed hysterically as you landed on the carpeted floor, a groan sliding past your lips as you tilted your head to to look at him. “You’re such an asshole.” You grumbled, shifting your gaze to the ceiling as he made his way across the room, head cocking to the side as he stared down at you. “Help me up.”

He rolled his eyes, a smile still pulling at his lips as he reached down to grasp your arm and tug you to your feet. “As I’ve said before, you’re so graceful.” 

Your arms crossed over your chest, “maybe if you’d actually knock instead of barging into my house I wouldn’t have fell.”

“I did knock. Repeatedly. You were too busy flailing around to notice.” 

A groan of frustration slid past your lips, hand darting into the air in a strangling motion before you turned on your heels and marched into you room. You ignored the laughter that rumbled from him, instead gathering your packed bag and slipped passed him once again, jerking the door open and motioning for him to walk out. A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as he slid past you, however on his way he jerked your bag from your shoulder and tossed it over his own. 

Once you had locked up your house you slid into the passenger seat glancing at the mirror to watch as Ivar tossed your duffel bag into the trunk. You buckled yourself in, kicking your shoes off as you pulled you legs up to cross beneath you. The car shook as the trunk was slammed shut, your head lulling to the side in order to watch as Ivar climbed into the car. “Make yourself comfortable, why don’t you.” He said as he started up the car and pulled from your driveway. 

Despite the fact that it had been a while since you had visited the Lothbrok Lodge, you were well aware of how long it would take to get there. Throughout the drive Ivar had repeatedly assured you that his mother wouldn’t be a problem, just as he had explained that everything would be fine if you simply acted as if you were falling in love with him.

Had he said such a thing to you at the beginning of the hoax you would have scoffed, however when the words slid past his lips you grew quiet, brow furrowing as you turned your attention away from him and out the window. You could feel his eyes dart between you and the road repeatedly, but he hadn’t tried to speak with you again. 

It wasn’t until Ivar’s phone began to ring that you turned to him again, he reached down to pluck it from the cup holder, glancing at the screen before holding it out to you. “Answer it.”

You glanced down at the caller, biting at your lips as you swiped the screen and lifted it to you ear. “Hello?” 

“Y/N? Where’s Ivar?” Ubbe’s voice cracked slightly and you could only assume it was due to the terrible service the far in the country. 

“He’s driving, what’s up?”

The elder brother sighed, “just calling to see where you guys were. Everyone’s already here and mother is about to start dinner.” 

“Ivar, how far away are we?” You asked softly, glancing over at him.

“Just tell him we’ll be there in an hour.” He grumbled, not bothering to turn his attention towards you. 

You repeated his words to his brother, who wished you save driving and thanked you for dealing with his more difficult sibling. A laugh slid past your lips as you assured him that you enjoyed doing so, telling him you’d see him soon before hanging up and placing the phone back in the cup holder. 

The moment you began to cross over an all too familiar bridge you perked up in your seat, glancing out the window in order to stare down at the concrete and when you caught sight of a memory you gasped, “Ivar, stop!” He jerked roughly on the lever, pulling the car to a stop as he stared at you with wide eyes. You were quick to free your belt, shoving the door open as you hurried back towards the beginning of the bridge. 

When they had first build the lodge you couldn’t have been older than ten, the excitement of being out in the wilderness had been overwhelming and the group of children had rarely been inside. You had been staying with family for the week while your parents were on business and Hvitserk had dragged you deeper into the woods, mumbling about memories and the future. They had just laid the concrete of the bridge and you, along with the five siblings, had decided to make your mark.

With a large stick you had each signed your name into the wet cement, however, when you had bent down to write your own name Ivar had pushed you forward, your small hand hitting the liquid with a splat. You had cried for hours, Aslaug having comforted you with the offer of a girls night and she was quick to send the boys away.

You stared down at the sloppy handwriting, a smile pulling at your lips as you reminisced the past, though when your gaze landed on that small hand print next to your full name your brow furrowed. “Ivar,” You began, glancing back to the male who was leaning against the car. “I don’t remember doing this.” 

He groaned in annoyance, making his way from the parked vehicle in order to look down at the bridge. “We did that when they first laid the bridge.” He replied, his tone laced with boredom as he glanced between you and the concrete. 

“No, I mean I don’t remember finishing my name.” 

You glanced back to him with furrowed brow, however he wouldn’t meet your gaze. His attention was solely set upon the ground, jaw clenched as he shrugged his shoulders. “After mother told us to leave you alone my brothers scolded me. They always were so protective over you.” He scoffed, “I came back that night and finished it. Now can we go? I’m fucking starving.”

Wordlessly, you followed him back to the car, brows pulled together as you lost yourself in thought. Ivar had swerved along the winding road quickly and within minutes you had pulled up to the large wood lodge. Once he had placed the vehicle in park he turned to you with a sigh. “You have to stay relaxed,” he began. “This is no different from when we’re alone. If you work yourself up it’ll be obvious that something’s wrong.”

“Okay.” You said softly, twisting in your seat in order to face them. 

His eyes looked past you briefly before meeting yours once again. “My brothers are coming outside.” He mumbled, chin jutting out slightly as he allowed a lazy smile to form over his lips. “Kiss me.”

You reacted instantly, pushing up in your seat so you could meet his lips in a chaste kiss. When you pulled back his hand lifted to grasp the back of your neck, his smile widening as he pulled you back to meet his lips once again. A harsh smack at your window caused you to jump, breaking away from Ivar as you turned to look at Sigurd who had his palms pressed against the glass. His laughter was muffled by the glass, but it was clear that he was amused by the reaction he had gotten from you.

He pulled on the door handle, jerking it open as he ducked his head into the car. “Well, I never took you for the romantic type, brother.” He teased, tilting his head meet your gaze. “Hello, Y/N.” 

Sigurd had always teased his siblings and you having grown up alongside of him fell into the category for him. You rolled your eyes as you pressed the palm of your hand over his face, pushing him out of the car, glancing back at Ivar with a wide smile before climbing out of the car. After you were pulled into a quick hug by the interrupting male he made his way over to his brother. You glanced towards the lodge, smiling at Ubbe and Hvitserk who were leaning against the railing of the steps, before making your way to the now open trunk. 

Ivar had placed your bag on top of his own as he continued to dig in around the trunk. You reached out to grasp you things from the ground, only to have your wrist caught in a light hold. Your eyes shifted to meet bright orbs, brow furrowing slightly as he pulled you closer to him, holding your arm to his chest as he lowered his face to hover directly above yours. His nose brushed against yours as he shook his head, “I’ve got it, love. Go inside, I’m sure mother wants to see you.” His voice was lowered, but it was strong enough for his brothers to hear from where they stood. 

You tilted your head slightly in question which only earned a laugh from him, as he dropped your hand to grasp your hips, pushing you lightly in the direction of the lodge. A playful roll of your eyes was your only response as you turned on your heels. As you walked up the stairs you were pulled into a tight hug by Ubbe, he placed a lazy kiss to the top of your head before turning you towards your closest friend.

Hvitserk was frowning deeply, but took you into his arms nonetheless. The hug was tight and familiar, but you could feel an ounce of hesitation flow through you as you wrapped your arms around his torso. He let out a long sigh before releasing his hold on you and following Ubbe out to where Ivar was unloading the car.

A wide smile graced your lips as you made your way inside, hands running along the wall as you followed the cheery voices into the kitchen. Torvi was the first to notice you, a giggle slipping as her lips as she rushed forward to pull you into a hug. “Well look who it is!” She cheered as she pulled back, catching the attention of Aslaug, who grinned at you as she wrapped slender arms around your shoulders.

“I’m so glad you were able to come.” The older woman cooed, pressing a kiss to your temple as she lead you to the island counter. “Would you like a drink, dear? Dinner should be done soon.”

You opened your mouth to respond, however you were cut off by her demand of Torvi to pour you a glass of wine. The blonde laughed in response before doing as she was told, sliding the crystal over to you as she rested her elbows against the counter. You sipped at the liquid, a pleased moan sliding past your lips as you swallowed the smooth liquid. Torvi patted the bar-stool next to her and you quickly pushed yourself into the seat. 

“We have a few questions for you.” She teased, glancing over at Aslaug who had turned to lean back against the sink, smirking behind her glass of wine. 

Your cheeks grew warm under their gazes and you felt the urge to blame it on the alcohol. “What about?”

“How in the world did you end up with Ivar?” The way she spoke his name caused a spark of objection to light in your chest and you had to bite back a snappy response. “No offense to either of you.”

Aslaug hummed, shaking her head slightly. “No need to apologize, I am aware my son can be difficult.” Her voice was light and you knew had any offense been meant in her words the mother would have rounded on her instantly. “I too was wondering how you formed a relationship with my youngest son. We had always believed you would end up with Hvitserk.”

As if on cue a set of footsteps echoed from the hall, a blonde head peaking into the kitchen and a tension fell over the group. In a way you had felt sorry for Margrethe; she was absolutely the outsider of the significant others and while everyone tried to be polite it was clear that they had little interest in her. 

“Oh, Margrethe,” Aslaug began, “I had almost forgotten you were here, have a glass.”

The girl kept quiet as she grasped a crystal glass, pouring some wine before the attention was turned to you one again. A nervous last slid past your lips as you placed your own glass back on the counter, teeth digging into your bottom lip as you debated on your response.

“I don’t know.” You said softly and it wasn’t a complete lie, you were genuinely confused at times as to how you had gotten yourself into such a situation. “He’s so different when it’s just him and I. It’s like when he’s around anyone else he has to be someone completely different, but when it’s just us he can actually relax.”

Torvi opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by the oven beeping. Aslaug jumped to action, removing the casserole and calling out that dinner was ready. You helped her set the table, despite her objections, and soon the boys piled into the dining room. Once you placed the final plate there was a hand on your waist, pulling your attention back as you turned to face Ivar. A closed smile was pulling at his lips and he wrapped his arms around your frame in order to pull you closer to him. “Everything okay?” 

Had anyone else heard they would have believed him to be a curious significant other, however, you knew what he had truly meant: had you given anything up. “It’s great.” You said softly, and he pressed a kiss to your head before unwrapping his arms. You followed his lead and sat down at the table, shifting a bit closer to him as the others took their seats. Ragnar had made his way from his study, ruffling your hair before taking his place at the head of the table. Aslaug sat at the other end and Sigurd took the seat next to you. You glanced across the table, catching Hvitserk’s gaze as he ushered Margrethe into a seat beside him. Ubbe had pulled the chair out for Torvi as she squeezed in between him and Margrethe. 

The food was served in a peaceful silence, murmurs of thanks the only response given as your mouth began to water; Aslaug always did have a talent for cooking, even though she rarely did so. As you ate the chatter was full of simple small talk, happy chatter floating around the table and when it was announced that they were ready for dessert you jumped to your feet. “Y/N, sit back down.” 

“Aslaug, you’ve worked so hard, please let me get it.”

“I’ll help her, mother.” Ivar pipped up, rising from his seat and following you into the kitchen. Once the group began chatting again he let out a sigh. “You’re doing so well.”

Your cheeks flushed at him compliment, a smile tugging at your lips as you glanced up at him, though your eyes widened as he closed the space between you. The cool counter dug into your back as you craned your neck to look up at him. His hands grasped the surface on each side, trapping you in placed as he crushed his mouth against yours. 

Unlike the chaste kiss you had shared in the car this was full of desperate heat, his tongue darting out to run along the seam of your lips and you were quick to grant him access. The force of his tongue rolling against yours left you panting for breath, your arms lifting to wrap around his neck as he pressed roughly against you. His hands moved to grab your hips, fingertips digging into your skin as he pulled back to inhale deeply. He rested his forehead against yours, his body rocking against you slightly as he pressed another kiss to your lips. 

His heavy lidded eyes shifted slowly from your face to the archway to the dining room. You followed his gaze, hot embarrassment flooding your body as you dropped your arms and slid away from him. Wordlessly you grasped the dessert tray, slipping past Hvitserk who was staring at his brother with narrowed eyes. 

“I have a question, Y/N.” Sigurd began after desert had been laid out. He waited until everyone was settled back into their seat to continue. “How do you stay with my brother knowing he can’t please a woman?”

“Sigurd!” Aslaug snapped, glaring daggers at her middle son.

Your brow furrowed as you glanced over to Ivar who had visibly stiffened at his brothers words. His hands had balled into fists atop his thighs, a dangerous gaze shifting to glare at the older sibling.

“I don’t understand?” You said softly, turning your gaze back to Sigurd.

He snickered softly, stuffing a bite of pie into his mouth. “You hadn’t heard? I figured Margrethe would have told everyone by now. Ivar couldn’t get it up no matter what she did.” 

Realization flooded you as you calculated your next response, doing your best to fight off the anger that swarmed you at Sigurd’s words. You weren’t too shocked, of course, he had always done his best to pick on his younger brother, no matter what the topic.

“Oh.” You mumbled, shifting your gaze to your plate. “Don’t say things like that, I’m sure it embarrasses Margrethe terribly.”

“Why would it embarrass me?” The blonde pipped in, not bothering to hide the amusement she felt at the crippled-male’s expense.

“Because you couldn’t excite him.” Your brow furrowed in mock confusion, glancing around the table before meeting her gaze, innocence lacing your voice as you spoke. “And I assure you Sigurd, he pleases me immensely.”

Hvitserk choked on his drink, droplets splashing over the rim of his cup. His date flushed a deep red, her smile evaporating as she stared down at her plate. Sigurd had narrowed his eyes at you, however when you returned his gaze unflinchingly he nodded slightly. Laughter rolled between Ragnar, Ubbe, and Torvi and Aslaug nodded smugly. 

Then you glanced over at Ivar who was turned to you with what could only be described as a baffled gaze, his mouth parted as you met his eyes. You smiled shyly at him, the realization of what you had insinuated causing your body to heat up. His hand moved to your thigh, squeezing it tightly before turning to the rest of his family with a self-assured smirk. 

After Aslaug had dismissed everyone from the table Ivar had placed a hand on the small of your back, leading you towards the stairwell; however, Ubbe and Sigurd were quick to drag him away, shouting about how he could please you immensely later.

Suddenly alone you made your way to the living room, glancing around the art that decorated the large space. You had always admired the way the Lothbrok’s homes were set up, a mix of rustic and futuristic binding together beautifully. You were tracing the frame of a family portrait when the clearing of a throat pulled your attention back, forcing a smile when you met Margrethe’s gaze. 

“You aren’t fooling me.” She snapped, arms crossing across her chest.

“I didn’t realize I was putting on a show.” You countered, the lie rolling off your tongue too easily; clearly you had been spending too much time with Ivar. 

She rolled her eyes, taking a step closer to you. “I know you have feelings for Hvitserk, and using his brother to make him jealous? I’m impressed, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“I don’t want your praise.” You snapped, jaw clenching as you stared at him. “Clearly you’re delusional, Margrethe, I’m nothing like you.”

Hot anger was swarming within you, fists balling at your sides as you stared at her. However, a sudden realization caused you to pause. You weren’t angry that she was with Hvitserk. You weren’t angry that she had caught on to your plan. You were angry that she believed you to be using Ivar. 

You were angry because the plan had failed.

You had succeeded in making Hvitserk jealous, that much was clear, but you couldn’t bring yourself to be excited by that fact. You had successfully fooled the Lothbrok family into believing that you were infatuated with one another. 

You had preformed so well that you had even fooled yourself. 

“You’re exactly like me.” She laughed bitterly.

The sound spurred you into action, feet moving without consent as bumped your chest against hers. “I am nothing like you.” You spat, “I don’t spread my legs for anybody who had the name Lothbrok, I don’t use them for their money. I’m not-”

A slap echoed throughout the room, your head snapping to the sigh as you inhaled sharply. You were readying to lurched forward, fury coursing through your veins, though before you were able to respond a blurred figure rushed between you. 

As quick as she was there she was gone, back slammed harshly against the wall as Ivar wrapped his hand around her throat. He was hissing violently in her face, the words meant solely for her, nothing louder than harsh mumbles as she struggled against him. Your eyes snapped to Hvitserk who had followed him into the room, hands gripping his brothers shirt as he fought to pull him away from the cowering blonde.

The rest of the family had rushed to see what the fumble was about, though once they moved to help Ivar had shoved away from Margrethe. His eyes were wide as they dragged across the room and the moment they landed on you he marched forward, hands cupping your cheek as he tilted your face in order to examine the side that had been hit. 

“I’m fine.” As if your voice kick-started him he reached out to grasp your hand, pulling you past his family and leading you up the stairs. The room he dragged you into was almost larger than your living room; the bathroom leading from the furthest wall seemingly calling out to you. As if he were reading your mind he dropped your hand and made his way into the bathroom, the handles squeaking as the water echoed throughout the room. 

“Go take a shower.” Ivar mumbled, crossing the floor to the door, however you reached out to grasp his arm. He paused for a brief moment, though he kept his gaze on the door. You opened your mouth to speak, but then he pulled his arm free and left the room.

The warm water was euphoric for your tense muscles and you couldn’t be sure how long you had stood there before washing yourself. Once you had finished up you slipped out and took a seat at the vanity in the bedroom, staring at your reflection with a frown. The only reminded of the previous slap was a small scratch on your jaw from Margrethe’s ring. 

Your mind was swarming with the events, the way Ivar had stepped in standing out among all thoughts. You were well aware of the distaste he felt towards the girl, just as you were aware of his short temper, but but the anger that had consumed him seemed to come from deep within.

It had been a little over a week since your the faking relationship had begun and you had been so caught up in the acting that you had forgotten why it had even started up in the first place. Thoughts of Hvitserk still weighed heavily on your shoulders, however, they didn’t seem to probe your mind as they once did. You had stopped wondering what he would think when you got ready in the mornings, you had stopped wondering if he would enjoy your presence, you had stopped wondering if he would notice the effort your put into dressing up.

A sigh slid past your lips as you stood, hurrying to get dressed before slipping back out into the hall. You had been around the sons of Ragnar long enough to guess where each of them would wander off to after such events. You bottom lip pulled between your teeth as you peeked into the library. The fireplace was lit, filling the room with warmth as you glanced towards the club chair closest to the flames. 

Ivar was staring down at a book with a furrowed brow, jaw tensed as he skimmed over the pages. It wasn’t until you fully stepped into the room that his attention was turned to you. Your heart pounded against your rib cage so loudly you almost believed he could head it as well, but you held his gaze nonetheless.

The world seemed to slow as he dragged his eyes across your features, studying you, the popping of the fireplace being the only reminded that time hadn’t stopped completely. With a heavy sigh he flipped the book in his hand, thumb pressing into the seam in order to keep his page. His free hand reached out to you, beckoning you closer with a single flex of his fingers.

Your feet moved instantly, pulling you closer to him, and when you were standing over top of him he grasped your waist and moved you onto his lap. Wordlessly he adjusted your weight, draping your legs across the armrest before settling back into the chair. Your let out a shaky breath, doing your best to relax against him as he turned his attention back towards his book. 

It as clear that you hadn’t fully taken the time to assess what had happened, the anger you had felt towards Margrethe overcoming any other emotion. You bit at your lip once more, fighting back tears a you focused on the flickering flames. Upon feeling you tense against him, Ivar pressed his hand between your shoulder blades his thumb caressing you slightly, though he didn’t shift his gaze from the pages. 

You let out another breath, more steady this time as you dropped your head to rest in the crook of his neck, eyes fluttering shut as you succumbed to his warmth. Sleep washed over you in waved, pulling you in and out, ears perking as he turned the pages. You didn’t flinch when he dropped his head to rest atop of yours, a soft moan sliding past your lips as you nuzzled your face against his neck. 

“What?” He spoke suddenly, the growl in his tone startling you, though you kept your eyes closed. 

“Wanted to check up on her.” Hvitserk spoke, your ears perking slightly at his voice.

A scoff pushed past Ivar’s lips, his breath rolling over your collarbone as you felt him place his book down. “She’s fine.”

“I talked to Margrethe.” He snapped at his younger brother, “she’s leaving in the morning.

The silence that fell between them was tense and for a moment you believed the older brother had walked away, but then he spoke once more. “What are you doing with her, Ivar? She’s not one of your little games.” 

“No, she’s not.” He countered, venom lacing his voice as his hand fisted the back of your shirt. “You’re an idiot, Hvitserk, you’ve always been an idiot.”

“You just expect me to believe you care for her all the sudden?” He spat, voice raising slightly. 

“I’ve always cared for her.” He snapped, “and if you wake her up over this shit, I’ll kill you.”

There was something about the way he spoke that caused your stomach to turn and while you had always made it out to be fear in the past, you now believed it to be a rush of excitement. You had been caught in the midst of many brotherly arguments, though the few times they had been about you specifically was always when one of them accidentally hurt you. The underlining tones of this dispute were much deeper than those of the past. 

“ “It’s been a difficult day. We all need rest. Hvitserk, why don’t you go upstairs.” A new voice rang out, one you quickly recognized as Aslaug. Another moment of silence, as if he were about to object, and then receding footsteps as he bounded up the stairs. 

“Don’t look at me like that, mother.” Ivar growled, his chin bumping against your head as he adjusted himself beneath you. 

She sighed softly, “Margrethe has agreed to let your actions slide. Whatever you said to her seemed to sink in.”

“That’s smart of her, she hit Y/N first.” His arm dropped across your waist, hand grasping at your waist as he pulled you closer to him.

You could hear Aslaug move deeper into the room, sitting on the coffee table across from you both. “I haven’t seen you react like that since you were a child. You must be more careful, Ivar, had she pressed charges we could be having a very different conversation.”

“I’m aware.” He grumbled. “It was instinct. I doubt she’ll do something so foolish again.”

“What about you?” She asked, though when she got no response from her youngest son she let out a sigh. You felt her presence about you both as she pressed a kiss to his forehead, her hand dropping to push hair out of your face as she did the same to you. “Goodnight.” 

“I know you’re awake.” Ivar spoke once she had left the room. His words urging you to slowly open your eyes, tilting your head back to meet his gaze. “Get up. We’re going to bed.” 

A frown pulled at your lips at his tone, but you did as he said, climbing from his lap and stepping away from him. He grabbed the book from the armrest, tossing it carelessly onto the table before leading you back to the bedroom. Once you had gotten inside he shut the door behind you, flicking the lock before sitting on the edge of the bed. You didn’t move as he pulled his shirt over his head before freeing the straps of his leg braces, pulling them from his body and allowing them to crumble to the floor. 

You could still remember when he had to use his crutches alongside of them, the way he would follow behind you and his brother angrily when you were children. He had been in physical therapy for as long as you had known him and when he had walked freely into a Christmas dinner you had been just as surprised as his family.

He didn’t wait for you to get into the bed before flicking the lamp off, your eyes blinking in attempt to adjust to the darkness. You stumbled slightly over his metal braces as you made your way to the mattress, climbing over the footboard as you settled into the space next to him. 

“I’m sorry.” You whispered, voice cracking slightly as you slid under the blankets. 

“Why?” His abrasive tone did nothing to calm your nerves, fingers pulling at the cover as you stared up at the ceiling. 

“Because all I’ve done since we got here is caused trouble.” A scoff slid past his lips and you turned on your side to face him. “I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“Why? Because Margrethe slapped you?” He asked, his tone almost playful, but there was a lingering cruelty within it too. “If anything it interested my brother even more.”

“I don’t care.” You snapped, “I don’t care if he’s interested, I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to be like her.” 

He moved suddenly, his hand grasping your wrist as he pushed you flat against the mattress, his frame now hovering over yours. You struggled against him in attempt to shove him away, but he grabbed your other wrist as well, lifting it above your head as he held you in place. 

“So what? We hit one little bump and you want to back out?” He hissed, his face now so close that you could make out his features clearly. “Fucking coward, after all the effort you’ve put into getting my brother-”

“I don’t this!” You snapped, glaring at him in the darkness. “I don’t fucking want him, I just don’t want to pretend anymore!”

Your chest was heaving as you fought for breath, heartbeat pounding in your ears as he met your gaze. His face was contorted in angry confusion as his eyes darted across your face. Then his mouth was pressed fully to yours against yours, his body crushing against you as he pried your lips open with his tongue. 

A moan pulled from your throat, tongue pushing against his as your responded almost too eagerly. Sparks shout through you as he released his grip on one of your arms, lifting his hand to tangle roughly in your hair, pulling it slightly, angling your face in order for him to deepen the kiss. It was sloppy and desperate and it ended all too soon. 

He pulled back abruptly, his harsh breaths fanning across your face as you stared up at him. “That didn’t feel fake.” You mumbled breathlessly.

“I’m not pretending anymore.” He growled before dropping his mouth back over yours. 

Ivar released his hold on you completely, his hands gripped your hips before roughly jerking you against him. You became instantly aware of his hard member pressing against your center, blood rushing to your cheeks as you lifted your hips to rub against him.

A groan slip past his lips, fingers digging into your skin as bit at your lower lip. His movements slowed slightly causing you to shake your head. “Don’t stop.” You mumbled against his lips.

It was as if that was all he needed to hear, his hands sliding beneath your shirt before roughly pulling it over your head. You arched against him, desperate to feel his skin against yours as his mouth worked it’s way down to your neck. A moan slid past your lips as his tongue rolled against your sensitive skin before his teeth sunk in. Your hands darted up to grasp his hair, tugging slightly as he continued to work against you.

His hand dropped to push at your sleep bottoms, once they were slid to your knees he slid his hand over your covered center, rubbing your wetness through your material. You jerked against him, moaning softly as he shoved your underwear to the side. The moment his fingers were pressed flush against your core he smirked down at you. “Is this for me?” He asked smoothly, spreading your wetness before rubbing at the bundle of nerves directly above the source. 

“Yes!” You gasped, back arching in attempt to gain more friction. 

A chuckle vibrated from his chest as he dropped his head to pressed hot, open mouthed kissed down your sternum. He teasingly rolled his tongue over your hardening nipple, only taking it in his mouth when you whined. His fingers continued to work against you, pressing harshly until he felt you jerk against him, then slowing his movements.

“Please don’t tease me.” You begged, eyes screwing shut as lost yourself in the pleasure. “Please, Ivar, please.”

His jaw clenched at your words, his hand dropping away from you before he shifted to rest on his elbow. You whimpered slightly at the loss of contact, but quickly followed his lead as he pushed your bottoms from you completely. You reached up to fiddle with his pants, grunting in frustration when they didn’t budge. He scoffed at your attempts, but a smirk was pulling at his lips as he removed them himself. 

Once he was bare above you he settled between your legs again, connecting his lips with your as he used his free hand to grasp his shaft, placing it against your entrance. The moment his tongue slid past your lips he pushed into you.

You hadn’t been expecting his size, nor the way he filled you completely as his hips knocked against yours. He released a shuttering breath, biting own at your lower lip as your clenched around him. It wasn’t until you began nodding that he rocked against you, slowly pulling himself out before sheathing back into you. 

“I want you,” you gasped, “please Ivar, take me.”

He began moving more harshly, hips snapping as your warmth enveloped him. Moans slid past both your lips, echoing throughout the room before he dropped his head to kissing and bite at your neck. 

Your name slid past his lips as if it were a prayer, his hands lifting to lace his fingers with your. You’d lost your sense completely, the way he was moving inside you being the only thing you could focus on as the knot in your stomach tightened. 

Release was so close, your muscles squeezing his shaft as he continued thrusting into you. Upon realizing this he pulled his hand from yours, sliding it between you as he rolled sloppy circles over your clit. With those movements your orgasm washing over you, a moan that was nothing more than his name ripping past your lips. 

He followed along soon after, his rhythm sputtering as he came inside of you with harsh jerks. A grunt sliding past his lips as he dropped his head into the crook of your neck. He pressed sloppy kisses to your neck, working his way up to your mouth. You responded weakly, exhausting washing over you in waves. 

With a heavy sign he rolled off of you, pulling you to his chest as he settled back into his place. You relaxed against him, allowing the uneven beat of his heart to consume you before your closed your eyes. Within moments you had fallen asleep.

A bright light caused you to groan, twisting to bury your face in a warm chest in order to block it out. “We need to get up.” Ivar grumbled and when you glanced up at him your realized he hadn’t bothered opened your eyes. 

“Okay.” You whispered, though neither of you moved to rise from the bed. After a moment of silence you spoke again. “What does this mean?”

He sighed softly, tightening his arms around you. “What do you want it to mean?”

“I don’t want to pretend anymore.”

“Then we won’t.” He said, pulling back from you. “Problem solved.”

You had grown used to the way he brushed you off and you knew expressing emotions had never been easy for him. He dropped his head to press a kiss to your lips before sliding out from the bed. 

You followed his lead, climbing from the bed and grabbing a fresh set of clothes from your duffel bag. Once you were both dressed he reached out to tangle his fingers with yours, pulling the door open as he lead you downstairs to where the rest of his family had gathered. 

“There they are!” Ragnar cheered, his eyes gleaming as he looked between you and his youngest son.

Aslaug grinned slightly, motioning towards your places at the table. You had instantly noticed the empty seat next to Hvitserk. Once you both sat down they began handing out the food. Ivar had dropped his hand to rest on your thigh as he took a drink from his glass. However, the peaceful silence didn’t seem to last very long.

“It’s nice to know you’re not a liar, Y/N.” Sigurd mumbled behind his glass, causing the others to snicker. When you gave him a confused look he smiled widely. “Ivar seems to pleasure you just fine.”

Your cheeks heated at his words, biting down at your lower lip as you stared down at your plate. It seemed you were louder than you had originally thought during the previous night and with the way the others reacted it was clear they had heard as well. 

“Shut up, you’re embarrassing her.” Ivar snapped, though you didn’t miss the smirk tugging at his lips. When you turned to meet he gaze he fully smiled at you, dropping down to place a chaste kiss to your lips before going back to his food.

It seemed that some of his plan worked, you did end up with a Lothbrok, it just wasn’t the one either of you had expected.


End file.
